Umbrella



Sept. 12, 1939.

WITNESSES Wise G. SOLOMON UMBRELLA Filed Dec. 10, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR Gu|||ermo solomon ATTORNEYS Sept. 12, 1939. SOLOMON 2,172,549

UMBRELLA Filed Dec. 10, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESS S INVENTOR OWGunllermo Solomon MM 2 M AT TORNEYS Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITEDSTA-res UMBRELLA Guillcrmd Solomon, Santiago, Dominican RepublicApplication December '10, 1938, Serial No. 244.911

' v 8 Claims. (Cl. 135-20) This invention relates to umbrellas andparticularly to an improved inflatable umbrella, an object being toprovide a construction which is simple and which may be readily nestedin a 5' small closed receptacle when not in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a collapsible umbrellawith the canopy portion made of rubber and the other parts of variousmaterials and arranged to act both as a pump 10 for inflating the canopyand as a handle.

A further object, more specifically, is to provide in a collapsibleumbrella acanopy portion made of inflatable rubber and associated with atubular container and a piston which uses the container as a cylinderfor compressing and directing the air into the canopy to inflate thesame. L

In the accompanying drawings- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal verticalsectional view 20 of an umbrella disclosing an embodiment of theinvention, with the parts shown in nested position;

Fig, 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the deflatingvalve illustrated in 25 Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through Fig.- 2 ap-v proximately on the line3-3;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through Fig. 1approximately on the line so I Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional viewthrough the umbrella when in use;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the umbrella when in use, the same being ona reduced scale;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view through Fig.6approximately on the line Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectionalview through Fig. 6 approximately on the line so Referring to theaccompanying drawings by numerals, I indicates a casing which forms-partof the handle when the umbrella is in use. In this casing, when theparts are nested, is a can- 15 opy2 which is adapted to be inflated toappear as shown in Figs, 5 and 6. The canopy 2 is made from an upper anda lower sheet of thin rubber 3 and 4 cemented or vulcanized together at5, and carrying at their inner ends thickened zones 6 and 1 forreinforcing purposes. In connecting the top and bottom members 3 and 4of the canopy 2, the parts are preferably vulcanized together when theportion is exterior and then the entire device is turned inside out sothat th 5 parts will appear as shown in Fig. 5.

bers l9 and 20 to act on g I, which casing may be metal.

inga washer 31 preferably of to by cement or in any other desiredmanner. ,A 10

valve seat It is arranged at I2, said valve seat having the end of therod an opening l5, as

- shown in Fig. 2, which is adapted to be closed by a soft rubber valvemember [6 connected to the lower end I! of a ring l8. s ring isprovidedwith V-shaped members I 9 and which coact with a pin 2i. The ring I8 isof spring metal and normally is in the position shown in Fig, 1. Thefact that the portions 2i and 22 tend to move together, as shown in Fig.-1, causes the mem- 20 the pin 2i to pull the valve member l6 againstits seat. When it is desired to deflate the canopy 2, ring it is pusheddownwardly to the position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the'same action ofthe'portions 2i and 22 will tend to hold the valve open.

From Fig. 1 it will be seen that the rod I2 is provided with alongitudinal passageway 23 into which the valve l6 extends and whichmerges into sight apertures 24 and 25, whereby air interior of thecanopy 2 may readily escape when the valve i6 is open. It will be notedthat a cord or other element 26 binds the canopy to the rod i2 aroundthe bore l3 and a similar cord or ligament 2! binds the lower part tothe rod l2 immediately below the inlet valve 28. This valve is providedwith rubber valve members 29 and 30. The valve members 29 and 30 areconnected by a resilient piece of rubber 3|, or if desired a coil springcould be used whereby the valves normally rest against their seats 32and 33 screwed into suitable apertures in the rodl2. It will be observedthat there is provided a longitudinally extending inlet bore or airpassageway 34' which extends from the valve seats 32 and 33 downwardly,as shown in Fig. 1, and through a bottomwasher 34 and associated parts.A cap 35 of any. desired material is screwed into the casing The cap 35may also bemetal, rubber, wood, or material. The washer 34- with itsassociated parts, including the rod l2, forms a pump piston and includesan externally threaded knob 36 havmetal. A second metal washer 38 isheld in place bya nut 39 55 other suitable screwed on to the lower endof the rod ii. In this way all the parts are rigidly secured together.

Whenit is desired to use the umbrella, the cap 8 at the top, as shown inFig. 1, is unscrewed and the parts are pulled out until the entirecanopy is exterior of the casing l. The rod I! may be grasped, or cap 8maybe grasped, and the piston including the washer 34 'reciprocated,whereupon it will act as a pump piston and force air from casing Iupwardly through the passageway 34 and out through the inlet valves 29and 30 into the interior of the canopy 2. This action continues for ashort time or until theicanopy is fully inflated as shown in Fig. 5.After the canopy has been fully inflated, the knob 36 is moved upwardlyand screwed into the sleeve III, as shown in Fig. 5, whereupon theumbrella is ready for use.

When it is desired to nest the umbrella, as shown in Fig. 1, the wirehandle i8 is depressed to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the air willimmediately begin to escape. If desired, the canopy may be squeezedbetween the ends to force the air out quickly and then the knob 36 isunscrewed and the parts forced into the casing l,

as shown in Fig. 1. After this has been done the cap 8 is screwed intoplace and the handle 18 pulled upwardly.

In making the canopy, upper and lower sheets of elastic rubber areused-and in order to give the desired appearance and stifi-ness to therubber sheets they are vulcanized along certain lines, for instance, anumber of lines 40 are vulcanized. from the periphery to the thickenedportion 6. In Fig. 6 eight of these lines have been provided. As shownin Fig. 8, these lines connect the top and bottom sheets of rubber forthe full distance between the thickened parts 6 and 1 and the periphery.Auxiliary lines ll and are provided between the principal lines ofvulcanization, said auxiliary lines being vulcanized particularly asindicated in Fig. '7. These auxllairy lines connect the top and bottomsheets of rubber together in the same way as the principal lines 40 butextend for a less distance inwardly from the periphery. In this way theperiphery is stifiened by the vulcanized edges 5 and the various radiallines of vulcanization just described, while the center. is stiffened bythe thickened or reinforced portions 6 and 1, whereby when the canopy isinflated it will appear substantially as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

When the parts are nested, as showninFig. 1,

the umbrella is so small that it may readily be carried in the hand bagor possibly in the pocket of the wearing apparel'of the person using theumbrella.

I claim:

1. An inflatable umbrella including a casing closed at one end andprovided with a threaded sleeve at the outer end, a piston arranged insaid casing having a threaded portion adapted to be screwed on to saidthreaded sleeve when coacting with said casing to function as a handle,a piston rod connected with said piston and adapted to be moved forreciprocating the piston to provide compressed air, said rod having apassageway partly therethrough, an inflatable canopy connected with saidrod and positioned to receive air from the passageway in the piston, anda valve for preventing the return of air from the canopy to the rod,whereby when the canopy has been fully inflated said piston is adaptedto be screwed on to said threaded member and the rod and the casing actas an umbrella handle.

2. An umbrella of the character described including a casing closed atone end and open at the other end, a threaded sleeve in the open end, apistonhaving a washer engaging the interior side walls of the casing, aknob having threads adapted to be screwed'into said threaded sleeve,

a stem connected with said knob, and a collap-,

sible canopy carried by the outer end of said stem,

said canopy and stem being insertable into said,

casing.

.3. An umbrella comprising an inflatable canopy formed with top andbottom members connected y together at the periphery, said top andbottom members, being reinforced centrally, said canopy havingthe topand bottom members connected together in radially spaced lines at theouter part, a stem extending through the center of the inner part, meansfor connecting the canopy to said stem, said stem being partly hollowand provided with an opening discharging into the canopy, an outwardlyopening valve arranged in said opening to normally maintain the sameclosed, and means coacting with the stem forming a pump for forcing theair through thestem past said valve into the canopy.

4. In an umbrella of the character described, a canopy formed of. upperand lower sheets of rubber with the central part thickened to provide areinforced zone, said upper and lower parts hemg vulcanized together atthe periphery with the vulcanized part extending inwardly, said canopyalso, being provided with a plurality of lines of vulcanizationconnecting the top and bottom parts together from the thickened portionto the periphery, and a second series of radially extending vulcanizedlines connecting the top and bottom parts together from the peripheryinwardly radially different distances.

5. An umbrella comprising an inflatable canopy, a stem for said canopy,said stem being provided with a longitudinally extending bore at eachend, both of said bores having openings discharging into the interior ofsaid canopy, a valve for each of said openings, manually actuated meansfor moving one of said valves to an open positionfor discharging the airfrom the canopy and the other of said valves automatically openinginwardly when pressure is brought to bear thereon and automaticallymoving to a seat when the pressure is relieved, and means for directingair under pressure through one of said bores to the last-mentioned valvefor inflating said canopy.

6. An umbrella of the character described comprising an inflatablecanopy, a stem connected to the canopy centrally thereof, said stemhaving a bore opening into the canopy and an outwardlly opening valvearranged at the end of said bore for permitting the escape of air fromthe bore into the canopy but preventing the return of air into the bore,means at the end of the stem forming a piston; and means coacting withthe piston forming a cylinder whereby when said last-mentioned means isreciprocated in respect to the.

piston air will be forced into the canopyfor inflating the same. i i

7. In an umbrella of the character described, a collapsible canopy, astem connected to said canopy centrally thereof, a knob having exteriorthreads connected to the end of said stem, a tubular member having athreaded sleeve into which said knob is adapted to be threaded, saidtubular member acting as a handle for said stem when the knob is screwedinto said threaded member,

* said threaded member adapted to be unscrewed and moved to the bottomor said tubular member, said tubular member also being of a size toreceive said stem and canopy when collapsed, and a sealing cap carriedby theouter end of said stem and adapted to be screwed into saidthreaded member when the canopy and stem have been nested in saidtubular member. 8. An umbrella of the character described comprising astem provided with a handle, an inflatable canopy connected to saidstem, said stem having a passageway leading from the interior of thecanopy to a point exterior thereof, for venting the canopy when it isdesired to collapse the same, a valve seat forming part of saidpassageway, a cone-shaped valve member adapted to rest on said seat forpreventing the passage of air, and means for moving said valve member toan unseated position or a seated position and then holding the same ineither of said positions, said means including a pin stationary inrespect to said stem and a resilient ring having a number 01' facingV-shaped portions, an extension from one of said V-shaped portionsconnected with said valve member whereby when said V-shaped portions arearranged inwardly of said pin the 10 valve member will be held open andwhen arranged outwardly of said pin they will coact with the pin torholding the valve member closed.

ammo sonou on.

